Here Be Dragons - 1 by Sharon Penman (best inspirational books txt) 📕

that even if he refused to act upon her advice, Llewelyn would at least hear her out. But she was not getting off to the best of starts; the last thing she'd wanted was to put him on the defensive."I did not mean you've been unkind," she said hastily. "I was speaking rather of sins of omission. I do not deny what you've done for her, but Llewelyn, do you ever think of Joanna, truly think of her as a woman, as your wife? Do you know how unhappy she is? How homesick? Do you know that she has been trying for months now to befriend your children, but to no avail? Or that she did turn fifteen more than two months ago?"Llewelyn was listening intently, his face thoughtful now rather "an irritated, and Catherine gathered up her courage, concluded luntly, "I suspect. . . and please do not take this amiss; I do not mean it ^s a criticism, for I know how heavy your burdens be. But I suspect you Or8et about Joanna altogether when she's not right there in front of y°u- And then she held her breath, waiting.

228"Yes," he said at last, "I suppose there is some truth in what say. I am fond of the lass, Catrin, but she's not all that often on youHy mind, I admit. Is she truly as unhappy as that? I thought she'd adjust time...""She tries, wants so much to do what is expected of her. But she' very young, and very alone. She speaks no Welsh, and how many at your court do speakFrench? She cannot even communicate with he maid, and with you so often away, there are days when she has no one at all to talk to. She's lonely and homesick, finds herself an alien in a land not her own. Can you not imagine how that would be?"Llewelyn drew an audible breath. "Yes," he said slowly. "I cat) imagine quite well; I've been there."Catherine leaned over, kissed him on the cheek. "Joanna is a lucky girl, and someday I shall tell her so," she said, smiled at him. The puzzle lacked but one piece now, and since he'd been the first to make mention of it, she felt no compunctions in saying, "You said you were being patient with Joanna, because of her youth. Then that is why you've not yet bedded her?"Llewelyn nodded. "Why else? I knew, of course, that she was fourteen. But to tell you true, Catrin, it came as rather a shock to find out just how very young a fourteen she was." He gave a rueful laugh, thinking back upon his wedding night. "Not having a taste for rape, I thought it best to give her time" He broke off abruptly. "Surely you do not think I was wrong?""Indeed not! I think your forbearance was much for the best, was as clever as it was kind. But as fearful and reluctant as Joanna may have been on her wedding night, Llewelyn, that was over six months ago. How long do you mean to wait?"She saw amusement in his eyes, saw sudden interest, too. "Did Joanna speak to you of""No!" she interrupted, quite indignantly. "Do you truly think I'd betray her confidence if she had? I would never tell you what she'd confided to me in trust; you ought to know that. It is because she did not that I felt free to come to you like this, to tell you what I think.""Which is?""That Joanna is not the child you think her to be. And I'd venture to guess that if you were to stop neglecting the girl and pay her some longoverdue attention, you might be pleasantly surprised!"PUTTING down Richard's letter, Joanna began to reread her father's. These were the first letters she'd had since their departure for La Rochelle in late May.She'd expected such a silence, for John would have

229tie time for letter-writing in the midst of a campaign, Isabelle was a lously pOOr correspondent, and Richard had not the funds to en n e a couner of his own It had been a long, lonely wait, but the news s good, was all she could have hoped to hear Her father was coming homeReaching for her mantle, Joanna hastened from her chambers, out nto the bailey She knew Llewelyn was conferring that morning with lorwerth apMadog, the lawyer he'd chosen to compile the ancient law ode of Hywel the Good, and she headed for the great hall Catching sight of her husband in the window seat, she started toward him"Llewelyn, I've had a letter from my father1 He" Coming to an abrupt halt, stanng at CatherineTHE window was covered with oiled linen, casting the seat into sun and shadowLlewelyn positioned a cushion behind Joanna's back, sat down beside her He was so close that she felt his breath upon her cheek as he leaned over to unfasten her mantle, so close that she could think of nothing else, sitting in silence until he prompted, "Are you not going to tell me what your father wrote, Joanna7""He he has won signal victories against the French, did take Montauban Castle in just fifteen days " Joanna raised her eyes to Llewelyn's, found she could not look away "He writes that he has secured his hold upon Poitou, that he andPhilip have agreed to a two-year truce ""It does sound as if his campaign was indeed a success," Llewelyn agreed politely, forbearing to tarnish John's triumph by pointing out that he may have regained Poitou, but Normandy was still lost to PhilipJoanna nodded "Not even Charlemagne could take Montauban, but Papa did," she said proudly "He took Angers, too " She hesitated then, before saying with studied casualness, "What were you and Cathenne talking about7"Llewelyn had, however, caught her inadvertent look of dismay at sight of them together Having long ago learned that a half-truth was often far more effective than an outright denial in